Preparing healthy snacks and meals doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money. That is because healthy eating most often means eating foods that are unprocessed and closest to their natural state—and that also means that they cost a lot less than the prepared dishes, baked goods, and other convenience items from the grocery store. In addition, there are other strategies for trimming costs and finding bargains.

Here are some basic tenets to keep in mind as you embark on your promise of healthier eating:

Plan and shop ahead. Keep your pantry and fridge stocked with vegetables, fruit, canned beans, whole grains and other foods that come together easily for a weeknight meal. If you know that you have all the makings at home for a healthy and delicious meal, you’ll be less tempted to stop off at the burger joint or pizza place or to pick up prepared food from the supermarket. Even better, why not spend an hour or so on the weekend and make freezable entrees and side dishes that take no time to heat up on busy weeknights?

Bypass the organic aisle.  Although there are may be some health benefits for going organic, when you’re watching your budget it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to spend so much more for organic produce and products.

But do buy local. But if you buy local by hitting your farmers’ market for farm-fresh, local fruits and vegetables, you’ll also be registering savings over food from the supermarket. And if you go to the market late in the day, just before it’s closing, you may be able to score additional savings from farmers who don’t want to cart their leftover goods back home.

Buy produce seasonally. Remember that you’ll pay a premium for produce that is out of its usual season. That means you’ll have to forego strawberries and asparagus in the winter, unless you want to bust your budget. Out of ideas for a side dish in January?  Take the opportunity to try a new vegetable that’s in season and inexpensive—like beets or cauliflower—and see if you like it.

Look for deals. In your grocery store’s produce aisle, look for marked-down items of slightly-over-the-hill fruits and vegetables. You may not want to display the fruit in a fruit bowl, or have the vegetables take a starring role in a side dish, but less-than-pretty, discount produce is great to cook up in delicious and healthy baked goods, soups and stews.

Don’t forgot the generics. House brands and generic products can provide substantial savings over national brands. Look for no-name canned foods, grains and other staples and save plenty.

And shop the warehouses. Shop the warehouse stores for fruits, vegetables and healthy staples like canned beans and tomatoes and whole grain cereal. But shop carefully—a crate of tomatoes isn’t a bargain if half of it goes to waste before you have a chance to use it all. If you have a similar-minded friend, consider shopping together and then split that 10-pound bag of potatoes or the 12-pack of canned corn.

Buy frozen.  Especially in the winter months, frozen fruit and vegetables can be a better deal than fresh—and with almost just as much nutritional value!

Go meatless. Dedicate one or two nights a week to a vegetarian or almost-vegetarian dinner. Meals that are based on beans, eggs, reduced-fat cheese, and/or whole grains are much better for you and much cheaper than an animal-based protein dinner. 

Forget the soda. Do we need to remind you that soda is unhealthy, AND expensive? Drink water to quench your thirst. If you miss the refreshing fizz of soda, pour a quarter glass of fruit juice then top it off with seltzer or club soda (generic, of course).

Indulge occasionally, and thoughtfully. Can’t resist the fast food outlet?  If you are tempted by a burger, or your kids are clamoring, go ahead and indulge on occasion.  But bypass the so-called “value meals,” which are loaded with saturated fat and excess calories (and not all that much of a value), and instead opt for a kids’ meal.  There’s more than enough in a typical pint-size meal for a filling lunch, and you can choose juice or milk instead of soda, and apples or carrot sticks instead of fries.

For more ideas on how to trim your food budget, don’t miss Groceries on a Budget and  Dinner on a Budget.